Knitting machine



O. L. RIMEL KNITTING MACHINE Oct 23, 1928. 1,688,791

Filed Feb. 20, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Bryan 20?" Ow a W,

Oct. 23, 1928. 1,688,791

0. L. RIMEL KNITTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 20, 1926 4 Sheets-Skeet .2

Oct. 23, 1928. 1,688,791

0. L. RIMEL KNITTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 20, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Oct.23, 1928. 1,688,791 o. L. RIMEL KNITTING momma Filed Feb. 20, 1926 4Sheets-Sheet 4 illllllli' mm PIIII frame n30?" MAM,

Patented Get. 23, 1928.

UNITED STATES OWEN L. RIMEL, OF HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

KNITTING IIIACHINE.

Application filed February This invention provides a reversible platingattachment for circular-knitting machines for manufacture of figuredhosiery, and it is adapted for use on machines for production of hosieryhaving seamless leg portions.

The attachment pertains to control of the yarn supplied to the needles,and it so is arranged that at proper and predetermined timesyarn-shifting and tension instrumeir talities automatically are operatedby a controllingpart of the machineas the patternchain, for example-toalter the supply of yarn of different colors or other character istics.

More particularly, the attachment operates to shift yarn fingers andalter yarn ten sion, whereby yarn of one characteristic periodically iscaused to be knitted differentlywith respect to other yarn entering intothe product, as, for example, when a colored yarn and a white yarn arethrown into or out of position with respect to the needles and knittedon the outside or inside of the fabric.

Vvhen considered with the description herein, the characteristics of theinvention are apparent from the accompanying drawings, forming parthereof, wherein an embodiment of the invention is disclosed, forpurposes of illustration.

Although the disclosures herein exemplify what now is considered to be apreferable embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that itis not the intention to be limited necessarily thereto in interpretationof the claims, as modifications and adaptations within the limits of theclaims can be made without departing from the nature of the invention.

Like reference-characters refer to corresponding parts in the views ofthe drawings, of which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a knittingmachinehaving the attachment associated therewith, such parts of the machine asdo not relate directly to the functioning of' Fig. i is a frontelevation of the attachment Fig. 5 is a side elevation thereof;

20, 19:26. Serial No. 89,656.

Fig. 6 is a View of the other side thereof.

Haymg more particular reference to the drawings, A designates a part atthetop of the machine above the needles thereof, to which a supportingor base element of the attachment is secured by fasteners 8. Thiselement includes an upright metallic plate I 9, haying an opening 10 inits lower portion, and 1t 1s formed integrally at its top with arearwardlyextending arm 11 and a forwardly-extending arm 12. The framealso includes a substantially U-shaped partcom prisingrearwardly-extending arms 13 seoured to the rear side of the plate belowthe arm 11.

By means of a screw-or other suitable fastener Ll a transversesubstantially horizontal shaft 15 is secured intermediately of its endsto the arm 12 at or near its free end. The shaft has an abutment 16 oneach side of the arm 12 and threaded end'portions 17. A pair ofyarn-tension members 18 of disk form, each having a notch 19 in itsperipln ery, is held against each of the abutments 16 by a spring 20 onthe shaft, which is interposed'between the members 18 andnuts 21 on thethreaded portions of the shaft A standard 22 is secured in any suitablemanner to the upper side of the arm 12, as by the fastener 14, whichholds the shaft 15. The standard has at its upper end aintegrally-formed transverse part 28, which carries guides 24 arrangedto direct yarn between the pairs of disks 18. A rod or the like 25,secured to the standard at or near its base, extends laterally therefromand seats in the notches '19 of the disks, whereby the latter areprevented from turning under the influence of yarn passing therebetween.If desired, the standard may be made of bendable sheet metal, sothat'the positions of the guides with respect to the disks may beadjusted.

A rock-shaft 26 is journa'led in and carried by the frame members '13.By means of a set-screw 2'? a collar 28 adjustably is secured to theshaft- 26. An arm 29, which may be of stout wire, is mounted on andextends forwardly from the collar to a place from the collar 32 to aplace below the other pair of disks 18, and it has a pointed end portion34 arranged to be moved between and thus separate the disks of thatpair. The arms 29 and 33 relatively are arranged in such manner that,when the end of one of them between the disks of its pair, the other isfree of its pair, and on rocking of the shaft. 26 one arm is movedbetween its disks and the yarn therebetween thus relieved of tensionthereof and the other arm is released from its disks and permits them toapply tension to itsyarn.

The shaft 26 carries, and has secured thereto by a set-screw 35, acollar 36, which has a depending arm 37; and it also carries, and hassecured thereto by a set-screw 38, a collar 39, which includes a cam orother eccentric part 40. The cam acts against an arm 41 swingablydepending from the rearwardly-entending arm 11 of the frame. The arms 37and 41 bear against ends of yarnfingers 42 and 43, respectively, whichare held against the arms by springs 44, and which extend into themachine to places to control the positions of yarn passing theret-hroughto the needles. Yarn passing between the pair of tension-diskscontrolled by the arm 29 passes through the yarnfinger 42 controlled bythe arm 37, and yarn passing between the other pair of tension diskscontrolled by the arm passes through the yarn-finger 43 controlled byarm 41.

The movable elements of the attachment so are coordinated that, when thetensioncontrol arms 29 and 33 are engaged with and disengaged from theirrespective tension-disks, the dependingarm 37 is retracted and permitsthe yarn-finger 42 to be in retracted position, and the cam 40 holds thearm 41 and the yarnfinger 43 in forward position,'as shownby Fig. 6.W'hen the shaft 26 is rocked in the proper direction,-

the arm 37 moves the yarn-iinger 42 forwardly, the arm 29 is releasedfrom the tensiolrdisks between which yarn passes to that finger, the cam40 turns and permits the arm 41 and the yarn-linger 43 to retract underthe influence of a spring 44, and arm 33 moves between the other pair ofdisks and releases or decreases tension thereof on the yarn passing tothe finger that then is in retracted position. As a result, the yarnpassing through the forwardly-moved finger 42 is caused to be cast infront of the yarn passing through the retracted finger; and a change inthe pattern of the fabric being produced is effected, as, for example,when yarns of different colors are supplied through the fingers. \Vhenthe shaft 26 is rocked in the reverse direction, the movable elements ofthe attachment return to the positions from which moved during theaction just described.

The shaft 26 may be rocked, in any suitable manner, in consonance withthe functioning of other parts of the machine, to change periodicallythe pattern of the fabric being produced. For example, that shaft mayhave a crank 45, to which is connected a spring 46. That spring holdsthe crank in Contact with a substantially horizontal end portion 47 ofvertically-movable rod 48, which extends downwardly through the head Bof the machine. Normally the rod 48 is in such position that the movableelements of the attachment are maintained in the positions shown by Fig.4-that is, in the positions from which the movements heretoforedescribed are made and to which they are returned by the effort of thespring 46. r

The lower end of the rod 48 is connected to an end of a bell-crank lever49 pivoted at 50 to a frame member C of the machine. The other end ofthe lever is connected by a link 51 with an arm 52 of a shaft 53journaled in a frame member of the machine. That shaft has extendingtherefrom a lug 54 positioned adjacent to the path of travel ofthepatterlrchain D and arranged to be swung by movement of certain lugs 55on the chain for that purpose. I 7

These lugs are spaced on the chain in suchpositions as to cause shiftingof the movable elements of the attachment at the desired intervals andat the proper times with reference to the operation of the otherpattern-controlling, actuating, and other instrumentalities of themachine. then and While one of these pattern-chain lugs moves and holdsthe lug 54 from its normal position, the rod 48 is raised and themovable elements of the attachment are actuated from their normalpositions as hereinbefore explained. When a chain-lug passes fromcontact with the lug 54, the rod 48 and its actuating parts return totheir normal positi ons under the influence of its weight and of thespring 46 and the movable elements of the attachment and theyarn-fingers return to their normal positions under the influence ofthat spring and of one of the springs 44.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is- 7 1. In a knitting-machine, thecombination, with reversibly-shiftable fingers controlling the positionof yarn passing to the needles, of mechanism for shifting said fingers,whereby reverse plating is effected, comprising a rock-shaft, an arm andeccentric part on said shaft, a pivotallyrnounted member swingable bysaid eccentric part, springs holding said fingers against said arm andmember, means controlled by said shaft whereby tension on yarn isaltered simultaneously with the shifting of said fingers, and meanswhereby said shaft is rocked.

2. In a knitting-machine, the combination,

With reversibly-shiftable fingers controlling the position of yarnpassing to the needles, of mechanism for simultaneously shifting saidfingers and altering tension on yarn passing thereto, whereby reverseplating is effected, comprising a tension device for yarn passing toeach of said fingers, a rock-shaft, an arm and eccentric part on saidshaft, a pivotally-n'iounted member swingable by said eccentric part,springs holding said fingers against said arm and member, arms on said.shaft arranged to alter tension of said tension devices on yarn passingto said fingers, and means whereby said shaft is rocked.

8. An attachment, for knitting-machines for the simultaneous and reverseshifting of fingers controlling the position of yarn pass ing to theneedles and alteration of tension on that yarn whereby reverse platingis ef fected, comprising yarn-tension devices, a rock-shaft, afinger-shifting arm and an eccentric part on said shaft, afinger-shifting arm sWinga-ble by said eccentric part, and arms on saidshaft cooperable With said ten sion devices to alter tension thereof onyarn passing to the fingers,

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

OWEN L. RIMEL.

